Water-resisting impregnating compound for cordage



Patented Aug; 3, 1926.

,wnrrnoox connaen com any, orJnnsnY' our, NEW. JERSEY, A. oonrona'rronwn'rnn-nns rsrmc mrnnen'arme comroum) r03 oonnaen.

V I Drawing. 4

relates to water-resisting impregnating compounds for cordage, andparticularly to compounds -ropes, hawsers and the like, which are in- 5tended to be used where they may be exposed to rain,"'sea water, andother forms of .j dampness. u p

' p A particular object, of our invention is to provide a compound whichis readily assimilated by rope fibres and acts as a lubricant thereofand which is so water repellent when applied to rope, hawser, and othercordage as-to make the same practically .water proof, so that despitesuch exposure the Our invention .1 rope will retain its full share oflubricant and will accordingly remain strong, flexible and easy. tohandle. The stillness and inflexibility of wet rope has.heretoforepresented great difliculty Z0 and danger, when in use. Whenordinary ,lubricatedjope is ex osed to dampness the moisturef'enetratesinto and distends the cells of'gw ich the fiber is formed, therebyswelling the-rope and making it stiff and unmanageable and at the sametime driving out apart of the natural waxes of -the'fib'er and of theartificial lubricant as welL- As the natural waxes and artificiallubricants are driven out the fibers become brittle and tend todisintegrate in drying out so that "the life of the rope as well as itsstrength and serviceability are substantially dimin ished. by suchexposure. By providing a lubricating and water-resisting. compound whichis capable of impregnating the cells of the rope fiber'so as to make therope substantially water proof we retain the natural and artificiallubricants in the fiber and overcome the difliculties heretofore met andprovide a rope which is longer lived and su- 'Other advantages of ourinvention will. b

claims.

Broadly, the compound consists of a nonvolatile solvent, having theviscosity of. ill? bricating oil, a mineral wax and a nonmineral wax or'wax-like substance mixed at ordinary temperatures (i. e. belowlOO? fortreating as ceresine, ozokerite, Montan wax,

or the like. Its

perior many now known. a

compound by volume. apparent from the following description and ,ifngapleasant odor "to the com ronella, sassa'fras, in' such portions'as tobe semi solid or solid Application filed August so, 1925. "serial no.51.500,

at about 140 to-180 degrees Fahrenheit. I The compound as a whole hasthe capacity of penetratlngthe' Walls'of the fiber cells and filling thecells and thus impregnating the fiber. It then functions both as alubricant for the fiber and as an agent to resist the entrance of anydampness or water into the cellular structure of the fiber. Thenon-volatile solvent may consist 0 any mineral oil such as cylinder oil,red oil, spindle oil, paraflin oil, neutral oil, petrolatum or the like.It is employed primarily as a vehicle for conveying the remainingconstituents into' the fiber .cells and preferably does not exceed-60%of the compound by volume, but in any event should be sufficient to giveplasticity to the particularwax or waxes employed. By the termnon-volatile solvent we mean those solvents of the materials-used whichdo not evaporate appreciably under ordinary conditions of temperature orpressure and particularly lubricating oils of the .character described.

Any mineral wax may be employed such lignite wax, paraflin, shale wax,function is to penetrate the cells of the fiber and lubricate them andmake them substantially-water proof. It preferably constitutes about ofthe volume of the compound.

The inon-mineral wax may beeswax, carnauba'wax, palmwax, wool wax,insect or China wax, Japan. wax, spermacetti, stearin, or similarsubstances or esters having similar physical properties. It has thefunction of a binder to make the compound more adhesive and more waterrepellant so that it is retained in more intimate contact with thefibers of the rope and resists abrasion. It preferably constitutes about10% of" the In addition a small quantity of essential oil may beemployed for the purpose of iv; ound an to the rope with which it istreats Examples of such oils are mir-bane, anis-rosemary, =cit-Wintergreen,- lemon oil,

etc. The lemon oil has the additional advantages of bleachin' thefibersomewhat to give it a more'desirab e color.

- ,is not desired for immediate use it. may be- As a particularillustration of our lubrieating compound we recommendthe followingmixture.

125 pounds of spindle oil.

.95 pounds of parafiin wax. ,25 pounds of Japan wax.

'1 pound of citronella and lemon oil mixed equally.

The parafiin wax and Japan wax are preferably melted and brought to atemperature of about 150 degrees and then mixed with the spindle oilwhich has been previthoroughly stirred together and may be applied tothe cordage at once inthe ordinary manner 1n wh 1ch cord-age oil is,a'pplied, namely, by sprinkl ng the samebn the fiber atth breakers. Ifit poured'into suitable containers and allowed to. cool. At normaltemperatures semisolid or solid and may be stored in containers. Toprepare it for 'use it should be gently warmed until it has meltedandthe mixture has comeoto a temperature 1n the neighborhood of 150 to.180 degrees Fahrenheit. L

We are aware that petroleum Oll has long been used as a lubricant forcordage and that it is commonly mixed with wool grease which has thecapacity of penetrating the fiber and making it' softer and smoother,but wool grease is unstable and the combination of the same withpetroleum oils s emulsifiable in water, the'emulsion being in a shorttime washed out i by the lubricant is driven'ofl and therope leftsubject to rapid deterioration. Furthermore the emulsion operates torelease dilute fatty acids which are likely to attack the fiber andproduce further emulsification ofrany remaining lubricant. Such rope,furthermore, becomes discolored w1th age so that it cannot be sold asnew rope ad' ter storage.

*We are also coating. compounds suggested employing waxesand a vehiclepressure. In others for depositing them on the fabric and in the mesh ofthe fgbric.

prior compounds the vehicle employed for "the waxes consists .of alight, solvent or 501- vents volatile at ordinary temperature and v thevehicle consists of water with additional agents for emulsifyingtllllewaxes. y en such, com cordage fiber the ve pentetrating into the iclealone 1s ca able of cells of the ber for the waxes are filtered out andexcluded by' the cell walls thus; preventing impregnation of the fiberbythe compound leavin only a solid and relativelyinfiexible film o thewaxes on theexterior oithefiber, which would the cordage soon fiberwould become same temperature.

it is a by the water where-..

aware that water resisting haye heretofore been In certain of theseounds are applied toas a whole. and.

be fractured and worn oil in use. On evap-' oration of the vehiclecontained in any one of the. compounds of, the prior; art after itsapplication to cordage fiber, the coils of the partially empty andtherefore capable of a sorbing moisture on subseqirent exposure. Thepresence of moisture in the cells will ultimately drive out thenaturahwaxes and will always prevent the ingress of the artificial waxesand so prevent impregnation of the cells -by the compound as a=whole. I

In none of the compounds heretofore suggested, so far as we know, is\the compound as a whole capable of impregnating the cells of the fibernor is it so constituted as to be at once stable, water-resisting andeffective as apermanent lubricant for the fiber. We have foundthat' whensuitable waxes are dissolved in a non-volatile solvent of the characterand viscosity described herein the compound as a whole including thewaxes is capable of penetrating thecell walls into the interior of thefiber cells. And when waxes into the fiber cells so that the cells arefully impregnated.- with the com und,

but being non-volatile and stable t e ve-' hicle remains with the waxesin a semisolid state in the cells and so cooperates with the waxes toprevent the entrance of any moisture. By prov1ding a compound which notonly fully impregnates the cellsof the fiber but permanently fills themwith stable, water-resisting, lubricating material, we are able toproduce a rope which during its life is not only substantiallywaterproof but permanently lubricated. ,There is'a novel- 'cooperationbetween the constituents of our compound not found in .prior compounds,for, on the one hand thesolvent actsas avehicle for conveying the waxesinto the intei' ior of the fiber cells, hand, through their resistanceto the entrance of any moisture, the waxes serve to. rmanently retainthe solvent as a part of the lubricating compound in thecells of the,

r l l By our invention we provide a stable lu-.

and, on the other bricant which supplements the natural harmful effectupon r0 against the action ofacids on the rope.

are very materially prolonged waxes of the fiber to reduce extrmelyhighfiective 'lubric'atiomdoes not cause discoloration. 4

pc structure and adds to-the resistance 1.

By the use offour' lubricating compound we! .-'haye'-ngade repel-havingtwotoflfiye tiines the durability ininarine; use of thev best lubriatedrope heretofore known be'sig'ies-impor tant advantages, such ascqntivnued'softne and fl'eXibilitydesp-ite prolonged'exposufe to, rainor:.-sea' water, avoidance of the'neces;

sity of hangingthg rope out to dry;-etc.'

In defining our impregnating fcomfiound: herein-as stable? 'we mean thatit is of such character 'asto {remain a homogeneous cont '1 positionsubstantially 'nnclianged -by-. exposure to the elements at normaltemperature" and-during ordinary use-of the fibrous Ina-f 'teri'a'lto-whichj itn ay be appli'edji- By 'plas-Q: tie We means that the comound .is. a mm brittle substance which at normal tempera ture-issemi-solid andfreely conforms to changes in shape [of surfaces withwhich it may lie in' eontaet.= .Our--impregnating cont .l pound is-b.oth stableandplastic'i' Its 'Stfit bility'preven't-s loss' in volume,prevents ap preciable -oxidation-duringthe life of thematerial towhich-itis appliedfand prevents chemical reactionbetween the compoundand V such material. 'Its Sla'sti'city prevents inter ference With-thenatural flexibility. of. the material and permits the compound 'to 1pass in and out. of the. fiber cells-so-that .it acts i A stableandPlasticy ter rsistinn iin:

, .pregnating composition for cellular fibrous 45." materialconsisting-essentially ofi'a' water*- 'p -.oofing w xjand a1non-yol'atile solvent for:

thewax in u quantity suflicient to plastioize the same. i

1 A stable tadeast water-resisti g i1h-. pregnatin'g composition forcellular fibrous material consisting essentially. of a; mineral "wax, anqnrmineral' wax and a liquid non-w volatile solvent for thesam'e inquantity'l sufficient to. produce plasticityjoli the composition. 1

5. Astable and p lastic Water resisting im'.

1 agent font-he sameg the quantityfiof Wax-exceedingthat' of thebinder-and being'less than thatOf-thesaidagentJ i1- pregnatingcomposition for cellular fibrous material-I consisting essentially of awater-Z "p'regn'ating, composition for cellular fibrous materialconsisting essentially 'of' a 'Water- 6. Aistable and plasticwater-resistingiin- 1 proofing .waxcomprising not less than 3()% of thecomp'ositioma-binder and a plasticizing agent in.- :quantit yjsuflicient to plas vtieizelhe.comPosiitioti preg'nating composition forcellular. fibrous matei'ial consisting-essentiallyof a water-Q proofingwax; agbinderfand anonvolatile solvent fora-the. same, the -wax andbinder 7 A stable" at v plast c water resisting inls isoc(instituting.more than 30% and the" solvent- -lesstl1an60% of-thecompositionbyvolume,

thequantity'jof solventi being 'sulfieient to plasticize-thecomposition;

. s, 'A- stable and plastic iwater-res'isting.iin pregnat'ingcomposition for cellular fibrous mate-rial" consisting essentially ofparaflinewa'x and? a .no'n'rvolatile lubricating oilin '9. A stable andplastic water-resisting inn 'gj pregnating composition for cellularfibrous material consisting essentiallyof para'fline wax; a Wax-likebinder andnonvolatile lubricatingoil -in' quantity sufiieient to plas-'quantity suflioient to plasticize the. ax.

watefiresisting for cellular .wa'terproofingwax 'a' binder -a'ndfafplastic-izi-ng agent for the same, .fthei said agent 1 0 constitutingmore than'c'ha'li off-the compo- M LY R :M M L UM u r sition byvolunieand beingof, suchviscosity "A stable and plastic watereresistingi n' "pregnating. composition. for-cellular fibrous-materi'al"ioon'sisting gess entially -'of a 'water--, '-proofing Waxyabinder and-a plasticizing- 4 agent. f f 1' the fs'a mein quantityfsufiicientgto plasticize' the: composition.

